Hoisting devices



Aug. 9, 1966 w. E. MOODY HOISTING DEVICES 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed March 2 1964 INVENTOR. Wmw E. MooDY United States Patent O 3,265,362 HQISTING DEVICES Warren lE. Moody, 95 Fiesta Way, Fort Lauderdale, Fla. Filed Mar. 2, 1964, Ser. No. 348,352 21 Claims. (Cl. 2541-186) This invention relates to improvements in hoisting devices. More particularly this invention relates to such improvements as employed in ground supported hoisting devices utilizing a drum and cable for lifting and lowering the ends of heavy objects such as automobiles, trailers and the like, and is a continuation-in-part of my application for Bumper Jack, filed October 4, 1961, Serial No. 142,922, now abandoned.

Hoisting devices of this type, generally referred to as automobile bumper jacks and utilizing a drum and cable for lifting and lowering such objects of great weight, are well known. However, prior art -devices of this type have had many objections and/ or defects due primarily to requirements in handling same and in its application in use by unskilled persons as well as resulting attempts by manufacturers to reduce weight of parts and costs of constructions, all of which has proven wholly unsatisfactory in the production of an ideal device of this character. Such jacks are, therefore, usually of heavy construction and are expensive to build since many of the parts thereof must be -constructed for subsequent machining and -assembly with great precision.

As may be recognized from the foregoing, hoisting or jacking devices of this type usually utilize gears and shafts to rotate a bearing supported drum on which the lifting cable is wound. Hence, any misalignment of the parts thereof, such as for instance out of roundness of a gear, imperfection in the gear teeth and/or distortion of the frame under load may cause an unequal distribution of the load on one or more of these elements with a consequent failure of the overloaded part or parts and an eventual breakdown of the entire mechanism.

It is accordingly an object of this invention to provide a drum or sprocket type hoisting device which minimizes or eliminates these defects of such prior art devices.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a cable and drum automobile bumper hoisting device which is of balanced construction yet is compact and light in weight, rugged and reliable in construction for ease in handling and operation thereof.

It is still a further object of this invention to provide in a cable hoisting device wherein the drum which winds the cable or other power output means is supported and rotated by balanced dual systems of planetary gearings which in turn are operated by a motor driven worm and worm wheel and wherein an equal distribution of the load on the dual planetary gears is maintained at all times as well as during operation of the device.

Another object of this invention is to provide in a cable hoisting device having a drum for winding and unwinding the cable which is supported and operated by balanced dual planetary gearing systems and wherein the various parts thereof need not be precision produced or precision assembled and therefore may be castings, or stampings, whereby the cost of production is relatively low.

These and other objects of this invention which will appear to those skilled in the art will be more fully explained below, reference being made to the accompanying drawing forming part of this specification, in which like characters will apply to like parts in the different views.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a view partly in section of my novel bumper jack device showing the elevating drum and the duplicate compound supporting planetary gearing systems as assembled on each side thereof and each mounted for rota- 3,265,362 Patented August 9, 1966 ice tion in internal gears on a support which latter is shown in elevation;

FIG. 2 is a cross sectional View of my device taken on line 2 2 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the cable winding drum removed from the device and on opposite sides of which are freely, rotatably mounted the several reduction gears of the duplicate planetary gear systems;

FIG. 4 is a view also in perspective of one of the fixed internal gear means of which there are two in FIG. 1 providing the opposite xed ends of the casing supporting and enclosing the duplicate planetary gear systems;

FIG. 5 is a view on line 5 5 of FIG. 1 showing one end of the drum as rotatively supported in the associated internal gear member;

FIG. 6 is a vertical cross sectional view of the upperv half only of the gearand drum housing of FIG. 1 to show the flexible and independent mounting of the dual planetary gearings;

FIG. 7 is a perspective view showing one of the two identical sides of a modified form of my centrally supported cable winding drum;

FIG. 8 is a modified form of the two identical gearings mounted on each of the two end frame members for supporting engagement withthe two oppositely disposed internal gears of FIG. 7;

FIG. 9 is a partial sectional view similar to FIG. 6 but showing the mounting of the duplicate sets of triple compound gearing mounted on stub shafts in the opposed side or end frame members;

FIG. l0 is a perspective view of another modied form of cable winding drum showing only one of the two identical sides thereof;

FIG. l1 is a view similar to FIG. 8 showing one of the two essentially opposing frame members having its triple gearing arrangement mounted thereon for balanced supporting engagement with the external gears on the opposite sides of FIG. 10;

FIG. 12 is a perspective view of a fourth form of cable winding drum which is generally similar in construction to FIG. 3; and

FIG. 13 is a view generally similar to FIG. 4 showing one of the two opposing frame members but each having an external gear mounted rigidly on the inner frame sides thereof for supporting engagement with the triple arrangement of small pinion gears on opposite sides of FIG. 11.

The device shown in th edrawing is designed primarily for use in a hoist of the ground supported jack-type for lifting an end portion of lan automobile, as for instance when it is desired to change a tire or wheel, or for any other purpose.

Also the novel supporting and balancing gearing :ar-

rangements by which the drum is supported and driven can be used to support and drive other elements such as gears, pulleys, etc.

As shown in the drawing therefore my invention as applied in a device comprises a supporting pedestal 1,v

having .at its upper end 'a lateral bracket or other attaching means 2 which is suitably connected to a head casing 3 in which is mounted .a reversible electric motor 4 fitted with a manually operable reversing switch 25 and a casing supported drive shaft 5 extends laterally from` the motor 4 :and is provided with a worm gear 6. A worm wheel 7 is mounted on one end portion of Ia transverse rotary driven shaft 8 'also mounted in said casing to extend normal to the drive shaft 5 and is It is Ito be understood, however, that my novel hoisting device is not limited in its use as al positioned to mesh with the irreversible worm 6 and to be driven in forward or reverse directions or locked agains-t rotation thereby. Loosely surrounding this driven shaft 8 intermediate the ends thereof is a relatively movable hoisting member shown as a spool-type cable drum 9 having a cable 10 attached thereto at one end, the other end of Ithe cable carrying a hook or other suitable attaching means 11 which may be engaged under the bumper or other part of an automobile when it is desired to lift and support the same.

Passing through and flexibly supported in the drum body 9 are three shafts 12, 13 and 14 symmetrically arranged about the axis of the drum 9 with both ends of each shaft extending beyond the opposite liat outer sides 9 of the drum. As shown each said passageway in the drum through which each shaft extends is made larger in diameter than said shaft and is lined with a sleeve or bushing 15 of more or less resilient material which surrounds -said shaft and thus yieldably supports the shaft in the drum and the drum on the shaft in use. The material of the bushing may be a plastic such as nylon, T eon or neoprene rubber etc., for a purpose later to be explained.

Rotatably mounted on both ends of each said shaft immediately beyond the ends 9' of the drum are two differently sized gears 16-16 and 17-17. The gear 16-16 as shown is larger than gear 17-17 and the two gears may be separate, rigidly secured to each other or cast together providing the compound planetary pinion gearings shown.

As stated above the driven shaft 8, also extends freely through and beyond the opposite at outer sides 9 of the drum 9. At these two extended points thereon are cast or otherwise ixed pinions 18 which mesh with the larger of the like sets of plural gears 16--16, as is clearly shown in FIGS. 1 :and 6. This double pinion driven shaft 8, like the double sets of planetary gears 16-16 and 17-17 may be a casting or the shaft 8 may be splined to -rigidly x thereon the pinions 1S lto provide with the two sets of planetary gears, like and balanced planetary gearing systems P and P. These dual planetary systems of six gears each rotatably support and balance the drum under load when driven by these two pinions 18, within the xed opposed ring gears 23-23 later described. The like planetary gear systems P and P and the drum 9 carried thereby are enclosed in a casing 19, the opposed disk-like end Walls 20-20 of this casing 19 are provided at their centers with openings carrying bushings or bearings for rotatably supporting the ends of the driven shaft 8 as will be understood. The inner surface of each of these fixed disk-like end Walls 20--20 of the casing 19 is provided with lau annular recess or groove 21 of sufficient extent to .accommodate 'and receive therein the smaller gears 17-17 which are in rolling mesh relationship with the ring gear side of said annular groove 21.

As is clearly shown in FIG. 4 the outer or end wall 20 of each -annular recess or groove 21 is formed with an `annular series of teeth 22 and thus provides two xed internal ring gears 23-23 which mesh with the teeth of the gears 17-17 in providing a rolling support therefor. The central transverse aperture 24 in the drum 9 through which shaft 8 extends is of sufficiently larger diameter than the diameter of the driven shaft 8 .to prevent friction between these relatively rotated parts 'as the drum 9 is oatingly mounted and rotated on and in the ring gears 23-23 through themedium of the balanced dual planetary compound pinion gearings P and P.

In operation, when it is desired to lift one end of an 'automobile for the purpose of changing a tire or for any other purpose, the standard 1 of my improved jack device is rested on the ground at one end of .the car. The hook 11 at the free end of the cable 10 is engaged under the bumper of the car and the electric motor 4 energized by the operation of the switch 25 after plugging in the cable 26 of the reversible electric motor into the usual cigarette lighter of the 'automobile or otherwise establishing an electrical connection between the car battery and the electric motor. Energization of this electric motor causes the desired rotation of the shaft 5 and worm 6 to quickly raise or lower the car as will be readily appreciated. Hence, rotation vof worm 6 imparts rotation to worm wheel 7 and dual pinion shaft 8 which in turn imparts rotation from its dual pinions to the matched dual sets of planetary gears 16-16 and 17-17 which rotatably carry the drum 9 from both ends thereof. Rotation of the dual sets of planetary compound pinion gears 17-17 causes these gears to travel about the toothed inner periphery of the annular recesses or grooves 21-21, i.e. ring gears 23-23, thereby imparting greatly Ireduced speed of -rotation to the drum 9 carried thereby which is concentric with the opposed annular grooves 21-21. Thus the drum 9 is uniformly supported and rotated from and at both ends thereof simultaneouslyV in the fixed ring gears 23--23 which results in a balanced construction without requiring shaft supporting bearings. Any overload on any one of the gears 1616, 17-17 or any mis'alignment of parts due to slight imperfections in castings etc., is automatically compensated for by the yielding bushings 15 surrounding shafts 12, 13 `and 14 within the body of the drum 9 which will yield as required to permit `any one of the shafts to rock or be slightly displaced laterally under such loaded conditions of the drum 9.

Modifications of the novel balanced supporting and rotating triple gearing arrangement for the drum are shown in FIGS. 7-13 wherein the same numerals are used to designate like parts.

In FIG. 7 therefore is shown a drum 9 having an internal gear 30 integrally formed therewith at each end thereof, as by casting, while in FIG. 10 is shown a drum 9 having an external gear 32 integrally formed therewith at each end as will be understood. In FIGS. 8 and 9 compound gears 16 and 17 are shown rotatably mounted on stub shafts 12', 13 and 14 on end walls 20 for attachment to the frame as shown in FIG. 6. When assembled the opposite gears 3()` of FIG. 7 mesh with gears 17 of FIG. 8 as shown in FIG. 9 and as indicated by the dotdash circle 34 in FIG. 8, and the same at the opposite side of the drum. In the modification shown in FIGS. l0, 11 the external gear 32 meshes with the gears 17 as shown by the dot-dash circle 36 etc. as it will at the opposite side of the drum 9.

The modification of FIGS. 12, 13 is similar to that of FIGS. 3, 4 but in this case the smaller gears 17 engage with external gears 38 at both ends of the drum, only one end being shown however.

In all the forms of the invention the drum is supported at each end by a triple cluster of compound gears 16 and 17 cooperating with either an external or internal gear. By this arrangement the close tolerances usually required when supporting the drum in bearings is eliminated and cast parts may be economically used without further refinement.

Modilications may be resorted to within the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A mechanical movement comprising a driving member, a driven member, gear means connected to and mounting each end of one of said members for rotation about a given axis, and means drivingly connecting said gear means to the other of said members.

2. A mechanical movement comprising a frame, gear means disposed in laterally spaced relation on said frame, a driven member, gear means mounted on the driven member in meshing engagement with said laterally disposed gear means, one of said gear means comprising at least three pinion gears whereby to support the driven member for rotation on said frame; a driving member,

and means drivingly connecting said driving member to said gears.

3. A device as in claim 2 wherein the gears disposed in laterally spaced relation are internal gears and the gears mounted on the driven member are the pinion gears.

4. A device as in claim 2 wherein the gears disposed in laterally spaced relation are external gears and the gears mounted on the driven me-mber are the pinion gears.

5. A device as in claim 2 wherein the gears disposed in laterally spaced relation are the pinion gears and the gears mounted on the driven member are internal gears.

6. A device as in claim 2 wherein the gears disposed in laterally spaced relation are the pinion gears and the gears mounted on the driven member are external gears.

7. A device as in claim 2 wherein the gears mounted on the driven member are the pinion gears.

8. A device as in claim 2 wherein the gears disposed in laterally spaced relation are the pinion gears.

9. A mechanical movement comprising a frame, laterally spaced pinion gears rotatably mounted on said frame, a driven member, gears mounted on the driven member in meshing engagement with said pinions, whereby to support the driven member for rotation in said frame; a shaft rotatably mounted in the frame coaxially with the driven member, gears concentrically mounted with said pinions and secured thereto for rotation therewith, and spaced gears mounted Ion the shaft in engagement with said last mentioned gears.

10. A mechanical movement comprising a frame, gears disposed in laterally spaced relation on said frame, a driven member, pinions mounted on the driven member in meshing engagement with said gears whereby to support the driven member for rotation in said frame; a shaft rotatably mounted in the frame coaxial with the driven member, gears concentrically mounted with said pinions and secured thereto for 4rotation therewith, and spaced gears mounted on the shaft in engagement with said last mentioned gears.

11. A hoisting device comprising a support, a winding drum, gear means connected to and mounting said drum for rotation on the support, a motor mounted on the support, and gearing connecting the motor to said gear means whereby to rotate the drum.

12. A hosting device comprising a supporting frame having two laterally spaced internal ring gears xed therein with their axes coincident, a plurality of cornpound planetary pinion gears meshing with each internal ring gear at spaced points therearouud, a hoisting drum rotatable about the axes of said fixed internal ring gears and extending between said compound planetary gears, shafts mounted at their ends in said compound gears and extending through said hoisting drum, and a drive shaft extending axially through said drum and having axially spaced pinions ixed thereon in mesh with said compound gears, whereby to rotatably drive and luniformly support said hoisting drum from both sides thereof in said internal fixed ring gears.

13. The structure recited in claim 12, wherein yieldable bushings surround said shafts between said cornpound planetary gears and yieldably supporting said drum thereon.

14. A hoisting device comprising a supporting frame, two ring gears iixed in lateral spaced relation within said frame with their axes coincident, a drum rotatable about said axes between said ring gears, at least two pinion gears rotatably carried by mountings on opposite ends of said drum and meshing with said ring gears for rotatably supporting said drum on said ring gears, and driving gear means rotatable independently of said drum adjacent opposite ends of said drum and meshing with at least one of said pinion gears for imparting rotation to said drum in said ring gears of said supporting frame.

15. The hoisting means of claim 14 in which said mountings are radially yieldable in said drum.

16. The hoisting means of claim 14, in which said pinion gears at opposite ends of said dru'm are connected by shafts extending through said drum.

17. The hoisting means `of claim 16, in which radially yieldably mounting means surrounds said shafts in said drum.

18. The hoisting means of claim 14 in which said pinion gears each .comprise dual planetary gearing with certain of said gears rotatably meshing with said ring gears and other of said gears meshing with said driving gear means.

19. The hoisting device of claim 18, in which torque compensating means connects and yieldably supports said dua-l planetary gearing through said drum.

20. A hoisting device comprising a supporting frame, two laterally spaced ring gears ixed therein with their axes coincident, a drum freely rotatable between, and about the axes of, said ring gears, planetary gearing rotatively mounted on opposite ends of said drum and including spur -gears meshing with each of said ring gears and rotatively suporting said drum therein, and means to rotate said drum while thus supported.

21. The hoisting device of .claim 20, wherein said planetary gearing includes reduction gears one of which meshes with each of said ring gears.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,273,747 7/1918 Davidoff 254-139 1,453,559 2/1922 Webb 254-186 1,684,988 9/1928 Homan 254-186 3,011,099 1/1963 Cutlan 254-186 FOREIGN PATENTS 209,634 7/ 1957 Australia. 1,019,407 6/ 1950 France.

805,182 3/ 1951 Germany. 188,148 11/ 1922 Great Britain.

References Cited by the Applicant UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,672,323 6/ 1928 Kellenberger. 1,684,185 9/ 1928 Kittredge. 1,808,629 6/ 1931 Bonge. 1,859,462 5/ 1932 Perkins. 1,928,763 10/ 1933 Rosenberg. 2,189,665 2/ 1940 Kirby. 2,444,734 7/ 1948 Gllett.

EVON C. BLUNK, Primary Examiner.

SAMUEL F. COLEMAN, Examiner.

H. HORNSBY, Assistant Examiner. 

1. A MECHANICAL MOVEMENT COMPRISING A DRIVING MEMBER, A DRIVEN MEMBER, GEAR MEANS CONNECTED TO AND MOUNTING EACH END OF ONE OF SAID MEMBERS FOR ROTATION ABOUT A GIVEN AXIS, AND MEANS DRIVINGLY CONNECTING SAID GEAR MEANS TO THE OTHER OF SAID MEMBERS. 